Licht, Hugo

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Licht, Hugo (1841–1923). German architect. He trained in Berlin and under von Ferstel in Vienna and became Director of Municipal Building in Leipzig (1879–1906), where he built a series of monumental buildings including the Music Conservatory (1885–7), the Police Headquarters (1889–90), Grassi Museum (1892–5), and the new City Hall (1898–1912). The latter is eclectic, drawing on aspects of medieval architecture, and with the masonry treated in a deliberately powerful, oversized way recalling the work of Richardson in the USA. Licht was important for his many publications, notably those produced for the great publishing-house Wasmuth, which include Die Architektur des XX. Jahrhunderts: Zeitschrift für moderne Baukunst (The Architecture of the Twentieth Century: Journal of Modern Architecture—1901–14), a lavishly illustrated journal he edited which is a mine of information on the period, and which promoted the careers of many architects.

Bibliography

Licht (1877, 1879–82, 1886–1900, 1900, 1901–6);
Licht (ed.) (1901–14)